Roman Pavlyuchenko and Pavel Pogrebnyak are both out of form, while Aleksandr Kerzhakov has not scored for the national team since June.

Dmitry Sychev has done well for Lokomotiv in recent months, but after having not played for the national team in over a year, it is not certain whether he will be a risk on the pitch.

One player who looks favorable for the first team is Dinyar Bilyaletdinov, who had a fine start to his new career in the English Premiership, and Hiddink has been impressed by the Everton midfielder.

“For me it is not remarkable that he is doing well in England, because he is a very good player, a very intelligent player,” he stressed.

On the injury front, Sergey Semak remains Guus Hiddink's only real concern ahead of Saturday's match. The Rubin captain says he faces a race against time to be fit.

Although Russia are favorites to reach next year's World Cup, Hiddink's side may be at a slight disadvantage as they will be playing the second leg away from home.

“This will be a very difficult match for us, and we must not make any mistakes. Slovenia are a good side in defense and are well organized, and it will be difficult for us to score. But we need not only to score, but also not to concede, as Slovenia will have the advantage of playing the deciding second leg at home,” Sergey Semak said.

Semak’s words are echoed by his partner in midfield Igor Semshov.

“The most important thing is the aggregate score over two legs. The result from the first game in Moscow will have some relevance, but everything will be decided after the second match,” he said.

Slovenia may not be one of the powerhouses of European football, but they will provide Russia with a stern test, and Hiddink's side must put in a good performance on Saturday.